The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of apparatus for the continuous compression or determination of the mass of a fiber sliver.
Generally speaking, the apparatus of the present development is of the type comprising a pair of rollers or rolls which can be pressed towards or against one another, and the peripheral portions of these rollers interengage or mutually coact with one another in such a manner that there is formed a laterally defined or limited nip zone. A sliver feed or delivery funnel which infeeds the sliver coacts with the cooperating pair of rollers.
Condensing and measuring apparatuses for slivers formed of textile fibers associated with a card or with a drafting frame have been known and used for quite some time.
In German Patent Publication No. 2,802,735 there is disclosed a condensing apparatus of this type, wherein the inner part of a funnel protrudes into the wedge-shaped gap of two disk-like rollers which can be pressed towards one another. The frusto-conical outer part of the funnel laterally covers the end faces of the rollers at the nip region, and thus, closes off the wedge-shaped gap towards the outside. With this prior art apparatus the sliver is fed close to the nip region or zone of the rollers or rolls, however it is not possible to avoid jamming of the fibers at the sides between the rotating end faces of the rollers and the stationary outer part of the funnel which closes off at the sides the wedge-shaped gap and the nip region of the rollers.